Valve Center

When your doctor suspects you have heart valve disease, you want the expertise of multiple heart specialists so that you receive a thorough evaluation and treatment plan tailored to your needs. At the Stony Brook Valve Center, patients have access to the most advanced care and technology available. Patients are seen by multiple heart specialists during the same visit and receive a personalized comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan at the completion of their evaluation.

Multispecialty Team Approach

At the core of the Valve Center is its multispecialty team approach to valve disease. During visits to the Valve Center, patients meet with an experienced team of valve disease specialists — all within one appointment. A cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon provide patients with the most comprehensive diagnostic assessment that leads to the best therapeutic option tailored to treat their specific valve disease. Additionally, a nurse practitioner meets with each patient to coordinate evaluation and treatment. By the end of their visit, patients are able to thoroughly understand their condition and have a detailed plan of their treatment.

Effective treatment begins with accurate diagnosis, and in this regard, Stony Brook's credentials are noteworthy. The Echocardiography Laboratory at Stony Brook Heart Institute, performing more than 13,000 imaging studies annually, is the only laboratory in Suffolk County that has triple accreditation from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, and is one of only 25 laboratories in the State of New York to hold this prestigious accomplishment.

Most Advanced Treatment Options

The Valve Center offers a comprehensive range of treatment options. These include medical therapy, a full spectrum of surgical therapy, and genetic and nutrition counseling. Our mitral valve repair rate for correctable lesions is 95 percent, which places Stony Brook Heart Institute among the top centers in the country for these repairs. In most cases, repairs are performed using a minimally invasive approach. Aortic valve-sparing procedures are also offered to appropriate candidates. Additionally, Stony Brook is one of a select number of sites in the United States to offer the new minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for treating aortic stenosis.

Multispecialty Expertise

Widely respected specialists lead the Valve Center, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the program. In addition to their clinical knowledge, our physicians also conduct research and publish their findings in conjunction with the Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

Second Opinion Consultations

Our highly experienced valve team works with referring cardiologists, internists and primary care physicians to provide independent evaluations and recommendations, or otherwise partner with referring physicians, as requested.

Valve Education Made Easier

Illustrated patient education materials are available to help our patients better understand, track and monitor their valve condition. Our team of specialists walks patients through health management guides to further promote this understanding.

Fast and easy access. In most cases, patients are seen at the Valve Center within one week of referral. The Valve Center is also easy to find-located right off the Hospital's main lobby, in the Heart Institute.

Time-to-diagnosis and treatment is expedited. Diagnostic testing and consultations are all coordinated into one visit, saving the inconvenience and time required to schedule a series of appointments.

Diagnostic studies are performed on site. Comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, which may include 3D transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), 3D transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) and stress echo can be performed in the Stony Brook Heart Institute, adjacent to the Valve Center.

Excellent communication. Close collaboration between the Valve Center's dedicated team of specialists and each patient's personal cardiologist and primary care physician is a key element of the treatment plan.

Additional Heart Institute services are available. When clinically indicated and approved by the referring physician, patients may be referred to other state-of-the-art services provided at the Heart Institute, such as our highly recognized cardiovascular imaging and electrophysiology programs.